Joel Santos Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Hello everyone! 

My name is Karianne Santos and I am the wife to Joel Santos. Joel was originally diagnosed in July 2017 with Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He started with ABVD with 12 cycles. He had a scan around January 2018 and it was shown that he still had about 50% left of the cancer. They then did an immunotherapy drug called Brentuximab for a couple of cycles and then did another PET scan. The scan actually showed growth of tumors that weren't originally there. After that scan, they told us they were going to put him on another immunotherapy drug with working towards an AST (autologous stem cell transplant), which is a transplant that uses your own cells. He did the autologous stem cell transplant in December 2018. He was in the hospital for a month and was able to come home around Christmas time to spend with his family. His 100 day scan after the transplant still showed some leftover tumors in his chest. The doctor then put him on radiation that was everyday for 25 days. After the radiation, he did another PET scan and was in remission!!

Joel went into remission in June 2019. We got married July 2019 in New York with my family and kids. Joel went in for his 3 month scan afterwards and they saw one concerning spot that they were going to watch. In March of 2020, he had another scan that showed that spot was increased plus some more areas. They were too small to biopsy but the doctors were 99% sure that the cancer was back. They put him as relapsed and started Keytruda. Joel has been on Keytruda since March 2020. 

As of this month, September 2020, Joel was hospitalized for pneumonia in both lungs. They did a bronchoscopy and we were told that it was actually cancer that spread to his lungs. He still has the cancer in his stomach and chest as well.

Joel is stopping Keytruda and going on a more intensive chemo called: bendamustine. This is a chemo that is given once every 28 days. It is a 10 minute transfusion with a very fast infusion rate. He will receive this drug twice and get another PET scan in November. If it is looking good, we are moving on to an bone marrow transplant or a Car T cell.

Please keep us in your prayers because this has been a very long journey and continues to be a journey. It is an expensive process as well. Even if we get a share or $1.00, it will mean the world to us.

Thank you!